The present invention is related to storage media, and more particularly to systems and methods for synchronizing read operations.
A typical storage medium includes a number of storage locations where data may be stored. Data is written to the medium within areas designated for user data by positioning a read/write head assembly over the storage medium at a selected location, and subsequently passing a modulated electric current through the head assembly such that a corresponding magnetic flux pattern is induced in the storage medium. To retrieve the stored data, the head assembly is positioned over a track containing the desired information and advanced until it is over the desired data. The previously stored magnetic flux pattern operates to induce a current in the head assembly, and the induced current may then be converted to an electrical signal representing the originally recorded data.
User data regions on a storage medium are separated by wedges that include servo data. The servo data includes address and other location information. Once a desired location is identified, user data subsequent to the servo data may be read. The user data is not necessarily synchronized to the servo data, and as such a synchronizing pattern may be included within the user data region directly following the servo data. In a typical scenario, the synchronization pattern may include a very large number of bits to allow for accurate phase and frequency adjustment. Increasing the number of bits dedicated to the synchronization pattern increases the accuracy of the phase and frequency adjustment, and therefore the accuracy of the data read from the storage medium. However, increasing the number of bits dedicated to the synchronization pattern also reduces the amount of actual user data that may be stored in the user data region.
Hence, for at least the aforementioned reasons, there exists a need in the art for advanced systems and methods for increasing the accuracy of read operations and/or increasing the format efficiency of the user data region.